Shinola’s New Ad: ‘Succession’ Star Nicholas Braun Sells Anxiety, Not Watches

Let’s call out the clown show: Shinola, Detroit’s self-appointed design darling, just dropped a brand campaign so anxious it feels like an adderall crash in a WeWork kitchen—and yes, it’s starring Nicholas Braun, better known as the tall, bumbling Cousin Greg from HBO’s ‘Succession’. The spot was cooked up by GentleForces, a boutique agency with a name that screams ‘please take us seriously’, and—get this, directed by Braun himself. Because if there’s one thing luxury watch buyers crave, it’s existential dread filmed by a guy famous for not knowing how to do his job.

The campaign, which landed on every marketing blog this weekend like a sponsored LinkedIn post, is Shinola’s first real attempt at a ‘brand statement’. But instead of confidence or Detroit grit, you get a frenetic montage of Braun jogging through urban decay, nervously glancing at his Shinola wrist (yes, they make sure you see the watch), and muttering about ‘setting the pace’ in a world that’s running on anxiety. You’d think they could at least let him channel some of that Succession smarm, but no—the vibe is pure “late-night D train after three Red Bulls.”

Here’s the scam: Shinola wants to sell you on the idea that their watches are for people so stressed out by modern life that only a $700 timepiece can ground them. It’s peak luxury-brand cargo cult—anxiously aping the ‘relatable’ tone that ad agencies peddle to founder-led brands when the product story falls short. GentleForces is just the latest in a parade of agencies selling the myth that slapping a celebrity in your ad equals authenticity. Nicholas Braun is a great actor, but when you make him the director too, you’re basically admitting you have no creative direction in-house.

The real kicker? Not a single shot in the campaign gives you a clear look at the product—because Shinola knows these watches are mostly style over substance. This is the brand that once got dragged for ‘Detroit made’ claims that fell apart under scrutiny, and now they’re selling us… anxiety? If you want to feel anxious about time, just check your phone. It’s free.

Here’s my uncomfortable recommendation for Shinola and every other design-first DTC brand sweating bullets this summer: stop outsourcing your existential crisis to ad agencies and start building a product story that can’t be shrugged off in a TikTok scroll. If you need a celebrity to direct your brand campaign, you don’t have a brand. You have a panic attack in 4K.